Martin Kampmann is training hard at Xtreme Couture gym, for his upcoming fight with Paulo Thiago on June 12th at UFC 115. The Danish fighter took a short break from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for NERDSociety, and his fans. Kampmann has wins over title contender, Thales Leites, and former WEC star, Carlos Condit.

NERDSociety (NS): How did you get into martial arts?Martin Kampmann (MK): I did karate as a kid, and started doing amateur kickboxing afterwards; then I got into MMA soon after.

NS: What is it like to train with some of the best fighters in the sport?MK: It’s great to have the support of the top guys in the business, this is a great gym (Xtreme Couture) and I love being here. I switch with different sparring partners, but I regularly go at it with Mike Pyle or Jay Hieron.

NS: Who is your P4P best fighter?MK: There’s a bunch of great fighters out there, but the ones that comes to mind are GSP and Anderson Silva. GSP always dominates his opponents with ease, while Silva is such a precise striker.

NS: What do you think of Paulo Thiago?MK: He’s a good all-around fighter, I would rather stand but I’m ready to go to the ground if necessary. He has knockout power and his specialty is submission so I’ve trained on both ends of my game.

NS: What goes on inside your head before your fights?MK: I try to stay focus with the task at hand, which is to beat my opponent. I try to stay sharp.

NS: You’re a down-to-earth guy outside the cage, how do you turn that off inside the Octagon?MK: I’m still down to earth inside the cage, but i know I have a job to do. I don’t hate my opponents, it’s just my job to get the win.

NS: Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin?MK: I think Brock will win, but if anybody can pull an upset, it would be Carwin. Carwin has one punch knockout power but Lesnar is a beast on the ground.

NS: Do you do anything nerdy in your spare time?MK: I play video games, I’ve been playing Call of Duty for awhile now; I spend too much time on there (laughs). I like ranking up and getting the rewards.

NS: What is the biggest moment in your MMA career?MK: The best moment was when I got into the UFC. I’m doing what I love best, which is competing, and training hard. Not many people can say they get paid for doing what they love, so I’m really grateful of my career.

NS: Anything you want to say to Paulo Thiago?MK: No, nothing for Thiago; but to my fans, thanks for all your support!
End of Interview

Martin, thanks for the interview. Good luck with your fight, maybe we’ll catch you online playing COD: MW2.